CHAPTER 1

INTERNATIONAL

TERROR

"Another day, another beautiful view eh, Volenski?" Peter Armstrong called to his friend as he gazed out of the small window of the living quarters on the International Space Station.

The old Cosmonaut scientist glanced out the window and grunted, "View is always the same. Never changes"

Armstrong laughed as he floated past his Russian companion towards one of the science labs, "Oh come on Mikhail, tell me you don't love to gaze at that view each morning? Nothing like it on Earth."

Volenski let out a short chuckle as he joined his friend in the corridor, "Fine then I won't!" he said mildly in his thickly accented voice, "Besides, of course there is nothing like it on Earth, We're not on Earth!"

Peter laughed as he picked a clipboard and pen and began to jot down notes on a experiment him and Volenski were doing.

The American and the Russian were just two of the twelve astronauts that currently inhabited the International Space station. English, American, Canadian and Russian scientists now populated the constantly growing 'City in space.' Peter and Mikhail had met on the space program and had been friends ever since. It was said that the two had been inseparable since they had gotton onboard station, doing Science experiments, sharing their quarters, and on the whole spending every waking moment together (save for bathroom trips of course)

"So…" Volenski said casually while Peter wrote down notes from his experiment, "What is going on between you and the Commander?"

"Jenny?" Peter looked up at the smug grin on Mikhail's face, "Nothings going on between us, we're just…friends."

"Is that so?" Volenski sniggered slightly as Armstrong hid his face to conceal his blush, "So how come Miss Susan Walden saw you two, as you say, sweet-talking, in the corridor last night?"

Peter turned round so fast he cricked his neck.

"We weren't sweet-talking!" he said hotly, rubbing the back of his neck to ease the pain, "We were…" he paused as to think of a reason, "…Admiring the view together," he said finally.

Mikhail looked at him sceptically, "Oh yes, a fine view, of the Commander that is,"

Peter smirked evilly at his friend. "Oh Yeah? Well what were and Susan doing talking together eh? Is there something you want to tell me?"

The Russian smiled knowingly and was about to reply when the alarm suddenly blared above us.

"Warning! Warning!" Commander Jenny Desoto's voice rang through the overhead speakers over the Alarm, "Unidentified objects heading towards us! All hands report to the Escape Pods, This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill!"

Peter took one glance at Volenski before heading for the airlock, making his way to the Shuttle used as a command deck.

"You get to the Escape Pod Mikhail, I'll go get The Commander," he called as he left, "Knowing her, she'll want to be the last person standing."

The Russian nodded, and headed in the opposite direction, towards the Escape Pod Wing.

"Houston this is the International Space Station," Jenny called desperately into her radio on the shuttle Enterprise II, "We have a problem. Our scopes have picked up a cluster of unidentified objects on a direct course with the Station. Requesting Orders."

"Commander Desoto this is Houston," the voice of control came through, "We read you loud and clear. Can you describe what your looking at?"

At that moment Peter floated through the entry hatch.

"Jenny what's going on?"

The English Commander glanced back at her American friend with surprise.

"Dr. Armstrong?" she asked, "Shouldn't you be at the Escape Pods?"

"I should be asking you that question," Peter replied huffily, "What are you doing up here? And what's going on?"

"Commander Desoto?" Houston Control suddenly broke in, "Commander what's going on?"

Jenny sighed as she watched Peter buckle himself into the Co-Pilot's seat, "I apologize Houston, Dr. Armstrong has decided to join me on the Enterprise," she paused for a minute, "Which might be a good thing because I think I'm losing it."

She pointed out the front window.

"Peter, look out front and tell Control what you see."

Armstrong looked out into the Cosmos, trying to figure out what she was pointing out.

A first glance he saw a few specks of white. But on closer inspection, he realised they were something else.

"Ships," he said in disbelief, "Shining, white, three hulled ships…with sails."

There was a stunned silence after this statement, until after a moment, the Controller cleared his throat.

"Is this a joke?" he asked seriously.

"I wish it was sir," Jenny said quietly, "I wish it was,"

"Control this is Dr. Armstrong," Peter called into the microphone, "These ships are very similar to the ones we have on Earth. They looked like they were designed for travel on the ocean, but…they're out here."

"Control, this is Desoto," Jenny said calmly as she pushed a few buttons on her panel, "I'm going to try and widen the bandwidth of this transmission, maybe whoever's in those ships can be contacted."

"Roger that Commander," Houston said after a moments pause, "You may proceed,"

"There must be thousands," Peter said in awe as he watched the ships come closer, "They all look so different for anything I've ever seen. yet they look familiar at the same time."

Jenny didn't reply, she was busy making adjustments to the audio. When she was finally done, she cleared her throat and spoke clearly into the microphone.

"Attention Unidentified craft," she said, "This is Commander Jennifer Desoto of the International Space Station. Please identify yourself."

She got nothing but radio static.

"Maybe they don't speak English," Peter suggested, "Maybe we should get Mikhail up here, he speaks a few languages,"

Jenny looked at him with a fed up expression on her face.

"While I'm sure Dr. Volenski is a skilled linguistic expert," she said flatly, "I very much doubt that he will be able to help us here."

She sighed as she spoke into the microphone again.

"Attention Unidentified craft, This is the International Space Station please respond…"

"Commander! I'm getting an energy spike!" Peter called as his console beeped warningly.

Jenny looked up in horror as a purple streak of energy suddenly leaped out from one of the nearest ships, streaking straight through one of the outer labs, totally obliterating it.

"Attention International Space Station," a male voice sneered through the overhead speakers, "This is the P.S.R Ice-fist of the Procyon Armada. You will stand down and surrender to us immediately or be destroyed."

Jenny glared at the microphone angrily, before speaking tightly into it.

"Stand by,"

"They can't be serious?" Peter muttered to her, "This has to be a joke right?"

Jenny shook her head, "Like you said, there has to be at least a thousand ships out there, it's a invasion."

With a sigh Jenny flicked a few switches to set the audio to the Escape Pod wing.

"Desoto to Escape Pods,"

"Dr. Volenski here Commander," Mikhail's voice came through the speakers.

"Doctor, you have my permission to eject. I'll take the Enterprise and Dr. Armstrong."

"Copy that Commander,"

"Commander Jennifer Desoto of the International Space Station," the same voice they had heard a minute ago called out, "If you do not surrender, my ship will use it's Nova Mortar cannon to destroy the Station. And trust me Commander, It's powerful!"

"Escape Pods Away," Peter called out.

"Good, then lets get out of here," Jenny muttered back.

Peter could feel the Docking clamps slowly release and the Enterprise slowly manoeuvre away from the station.

"Very good Commander," the voice said, "Now prepare to face the destruction of your station!"

"I'm reading another Energy Spike!" Peter cried.

"I'm switching to external cameras," The Commander said automatically punched a few buttons.

Almost immediately the screens above their heads suddenly changed to the outside view, showing something white streak upwards and away from the Main ship of the Procyon Armada.

Peter and Jenny watched in horror as the white ball seemed to reach it's peak, before splitting into five different balls and coming down fast.

"BRACE FOR IMPACT!!" Jenny yelled as she grabbed the console in front if her, Peter doing the same.

They both watched as the five white balls streaked downwards towards the International Space Station, until finally hit home.

At first there was nothing. Then suddenly, a bright white light, like a magnesium flare suddenly engulfed the view of the two astronauts, making them shield there eyes. Then, before they had a chance to adjust their eyes, the shockwave of the explosion rocked the ship, sending it flying towards the outer Solar system.

The Bridge of the Enterprise kept spinning and spinning, making Peter loose totally grasp on which way was up. Suddenly the something hit him hard on the back of the head. As his vision suddenly got cloudier, he heard Jenny trying her best to wrestle the Enterprise's controls, getting though to Houston, and trying to wake him up.

Then the world went black, and he knew no more.